Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Pokémon: The Movie 2000 arrived from Warner Bros. and Nintendo/4Kids in the summer of 2000, riding the crest of Pokémania at its commercial peak in the West. As the second theatrical feature in the franchise, it cemented the movie tie-in as a yearly ritual for young audiences and their families, pairing the games and television series with big-screen spectacle. For collectors of animation history, this era marks a genuine cultural flashpoint, when a Japanese property became a dominant force in American pop culture almost overnight.
This cell preserves Team Rocket, the trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth, alongside their signature companion Weezing. As the franchise's comic antagonists, they hold a special place for collectors who favor personality-driven villains over straightforward heroes. A 35mm frame from this group speaks to the film's recurring comic relief thread, the schemes and setbacks that punctuate the larger adventure. Owning a piece with this cast is a way of holding onto the franchise's enduring double act of ambition and failure, rendered in physical film stock from its most celebrated theatrical year.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds four frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the bottom edge beside the picture, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block pattern visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base appears neutral to very slightly cool; dye image shows strong, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or significant scratches are visible; the image appears consistent with a projected release print.
Picture
Positive colour image; all four frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the animated characters and colour palette are consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The combination of a variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, saturated colour dye image, and 35mm four-perforation format is consistent with a theatrical release print from the year 2000.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
